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“We all want to cook delicious, thrifty food that satisfies the entire family, without spending hours slaving away in the kitchen.” So begins Family Food for a Steal: 50 simple, quick and delicious recipes. This new book includes a collection of recipes that are both easy to prepare and tasty, all with the budget-conscious in mind. Chapters include Delicious Soups (they are too), Light Meals, Hearty Dishes, Vegetable Delights and Sweet Endings. There are also gluten-free and vegan dishes to cater for those with allergies or specific dietary requirements.
We love the idea of substituting more expensive ingredients with cheaper but equally tasty ones, which is what this book advocates. Take the Butternut Squash & Barley Risotto, which uses barley in place of the more expensive arborio, or the Quick Walnut & Mushroom Risotto which uses left-over long-grain rice.
A bonus: the book, published by Kyle Books and distributed by New Holland, is a mere $19.99, and is available from all good book stores.
We have 2 copies of Family Food for a Steal to give away. TO GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN A COPY, all you have to do is post a comment below. Anything will do. You can just say hello, if you like. Though we’d love to read your thrifty tips for the kitchen.
Competition closes April 3, 2012. OPEN TO NZ RESIDENTS ONLY.
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*** COMPETITION WINNERS ***
Wow! We had lots of entries for this competition and lots of great tips! Thank you everyone who entered. Unfortunately we can only draw two winners. Those lucky two are:
Jenni Hanly
Margo Dawson
Congratulations Jenni and Margo! Your prize is in the post.
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clothes pegs are great for sealing chip packets that you’ve opened but can’t eat all of them….fold the open end over a couple of times and use 1 or 2 pegs to keep it closed.
Hi, I love this website and the magazine is awesome, I have shared the link with quite a few people.
That book sounds great! My thrify tip is that if I buy spring onions, I plant the rooted white bulb part (that you don’t really cut up) in the garden outside or in the windowbox, and after a few weeks I have my own new crop of spring onions 🙂
Don’t be afraid to use the cheaper supermarket brands of regular kitchen supplies. More expensive does not necessarily mean better quality!
Love your magazine, would love to be in competion for cook book.
I love this refreshing, cleanly designed magazine. Makes me feel very inspired. My best tip is always meal plan on a weekly basis- you save money and reduce waste- nothing worse than being left with that half a tub of creme fraiche at the back of the fridge. I have set myself a personal target to scour my books and cook one new recipe every week- it keeps you and your family excited about food.
I would LOVE to win a copy of “Family food for a steal” – Since we arrived in New Zealand 7 months ago I have found it really difficult to cook healthy wholesome meals for our family of 5 and not spend a fortune! I have managed by having a weekly meal planner, using leftovers for the next day’s lunch boxes and buying fruit and veg when it’s cheap and freezing/picking/making jam etc. I bake alot as well as I really enjoy it and it is cheaper than shop bought items.
Discovered you on FB and love it!!!
This is my first email from Sweet Living and I am very excited to get it and can’t wait to read everything.
Love your magazine, always looking for quick simple healthy receipes.
My tip don’t buy pre made packet – bottled items, cooking from scratch is healthier tastier and cheaper with little extra effort.
I keep all the scraps from our veges ( all cleaned no dirt) and pop them in a bowl in the fridge when I have a weeks worth I blend them all up and add salt and a bit of oil and presto home-made stock bullion! Just add to your meal to your own taste! I use a teaspoon in a mug of hot water when I am feeling hungry to get me through to meal time.
Love your magazine and website…every article is interesting and I am so full of admiration for those who have such wonderful imaginations and are able to put their ideas into reality. Would love to win this cookbook – a ‘thrifty’ cookbook is always a bonus – I so enjoy cooking something a little different without roasting the budget at the same time!
Hi,
I’m forever looking for new meal ideas that are tasty and affordable.
I love your magazine.
never put any old/ bad fruit in the rubbish/compost , if you can save just 1/4 of a bit of fruit , cut it up and place in a 1 cup size container in your freezer ,When fill cook a batch of fruit muffins/ cup cake size , keep an eye on the kids lunch box as some kids only take 1 or 2 bites out of there fruit so why waste it, there more than one way to get fruit into them
Hello, my thrifty tip is to no longer buy any cleaning products whatsover – there is nothing that white vinegar cannot do. Great for grease, grime and glass. 🙂
Yes vinegar and baking soda. Brilliant.
My kitchen thrifty tip is menu plan – it will reduce waste and make you shop cheaper. Great mag
This book looks great! I have started blitzing up a tin of tomatoes, with tomato purée and fresh herbs in a blender, then use fresh on a pizza and the rest I freeze in ice cube trays . Just defrost 2or 3 cubes for future homemade pizzas. So easy and makes lots!
With the price of food seemingly to never stop increasing, I would love some new recipes to try out.
am sharing your site with all my friends,i just love it!
handy tip from me: after opening a bag of frozen veg,cut a strip from across the top of the bag to use as a free bag tie!
These recipes sound like just what I need!
This is the 3rd isssue I have read now and when I finish readug I can’t wait for the next issue to come out. While I am waiting I go back an re read to see if I missed anything. Loving the craft making section:-) Keep up the great work!
this is a clever little booklet full of great things
What a treasure – I love your fun, creative, inspiring magazine. Thanks so much for bringing out a magazine that actually gives affordable ways to create beautiful and individual home decor and gift ideas….. I will be recommending this magazine to my many wonderful friends and family.
Clips were not put on this earth to seal off half-eaten packets of chippies. Everyone knows you keep eating those chippies until they’re all gone – sigh.
This cookbook sounds very sensible and delicious! Would love to be in to win. I rarely throw out any food, always trying to come up with uses for it before expiry.
mash up brown bananas with some lemon juice, mix with a little yoghurt and freeze, instant frozen banana ice cream
Wonderful book…i love new recipes and try to keep my family interested in good food…i think its important to teach little ones the impotance of good meals and how to prepare them
sara
PLEASE PICK ME! PICK ME! PICK ME!
Loving your magazine and all the handy hints and tips 🙂
Recommended by a friend. Always up for savings and good ideas!
I am enjoying your website – especially the recipies. This book looks FAB.
Love your magazine! 🙂 Love the wonderful ideas and recipes inside. Have shared ‘you’ with a few of my friends who love trying out new creative and exciting activities. Long may you continue!! 🙂
Love your magazine! 🙂 Have shared ‘you’ with a few of my friends who love trying out new creative and exciting activities.
Love your magazine such great craft ideas and useful info.
Don’t throw out fruit if it’s spoiling, cut off good bits and freeze until you have a kilo or so and make chutney – use a basic recipe and be creative -can do this with veg too .
Hey would love to get a copy of this book. always up for saving money.
loving this new online mag..helpful,useful and inspiring:)
Hi Just loving these emails and the mag the only problem is deciding on what to make/do first!!
I love this magazine – its full of so many great ideas! My tip is to make meals in the weekend and freeze them. That way you don’t have to try rush around during the week when your busy with work etc. I do this with both lunches and dinners and it saves me so much time after work 🙂
great idea to use the last slivers of cake soap. Get a thick sponge and cut a slit into it so it becomes a ‘pocket’. Slip in the pieces of small soap and use the sponge in the shower to lather up! 🙂
..or add the slivers to some grated some, heated with water and blended to make home made liquid soap!
That cookbook looks awesome, would love to win it. Getting a bit bored with all my usual recipes!
Ive just found your page via facebook. I then decided to read your Issue 2 magazine and I love it The first thing I saw where recipes for gluten free food. Being a new to Gluten Free I found it a wonderful surprise to see some amazing things that I can actually do quite easily. I have now signed up to your newsletter and liked you on facebook. Im early awaitig more wonderful ideas you have to share for us. Thank you so much
Takes a break from reading the site to say … hello
hello : )
Great book and website, I am definitely a regular here
Hello! Would love to win the book. Looks great!
I love this magazine. Where have you been all my life!!!
love this site!
Loving this online Magazine… where have you been all my life?!
Thanks for something to view online – keeps the shelf I have for cookbooks and my craft box a little lighter.
When we cut the ends off our spring onions for cooking, we don’t throw them out, we plant them in the garden. No kidding! They grow roots and then more spring onions!
Loving this magazine
LOVE your mag, and would love to win this too! <3
That pasta in the image above looks so tasty I could lick the screen. Happy easter everyone
life is sweet
Loving this magazine, accidentally came across it and think its wonderful. Keep up the great work and interesting and useful articles and crafts etc.
Love Sweet living web site, so many great ideas
Great stuff
Seems like this book ticks all the boxes. Would be fantastic to have.
Thanks for all the great tips and advice…I love your online mag!
I’m not sure if this counts as a “thrifty tip”, but cajun spice seems to make almost everything a little tastier. I add it to all kinds of things, including making very easy seasoned wedges. We get the little jar with a sprinkler on the top, and then wash this and use it for other spices after de-labelling. It becomes hard to see why people ever buy spice shakers.
When making pikelets grease the pan with dripping for nice golden colour.Would lov to win your book.
A brand new subscriber and am very impressed. Was recommended to it by a friend and will be recommending to my friends. Well done.
When basil and other summer herbs are in season, I make several rolls of herb butter and freeze them. In wintertime we use the butter on crusty bread to go with piping hot soups, or on top of baked potatoes or steaks – yummy!
Love, love, love your mag!
I love new recipes, anything that makes my dollar stretch and pleases the masses is a bonus. Having one gluten free littlie is good to have few tasty treats we can all eat.
Awesome site! Would love to win this book. I’m constantly trying to think of ways to tighten the belt. Thanks!
I have started making my own cheese. At this point I am buying silver topped milk which leaves me with cheese half the price of store bought. I can’t wait until my goats are in milk!
Find one of those cheese making courses that are so popular just now to get the hang of it all
Love the web site and would love this book for my daughter whom is a stay at home mum with a baby.
I am always on the lookout for new recipes to increase my dinner options for the family, but on a budget as we are on a tight budget. This book looks just the ticket! So please please pop me in the draw =)
Just shared a link to your mag on our Toy Library site. Thanks for the great ideas for keeping the family entertained and well fed over Easter!
Hello there! Sorry, not very inventive. I’m the same in the kitchen – this book would really help =)
This is just what our family needs. Thank you 🙂
Some fantastic ideas on this site !! Some great tips for saving money and helpful hints – Great Stuff.
Great prize. Would love to win this!
This book looks awesome
Nice contest. Hope to win 🙂
I love the idea of this mag and look forward to reading more of it
Have just subscribed to your newsletter – great website, looking forward to trying some new recipes on the family 🙂
What a fabulous looking book – this would be a welcome addition to my cookbook collection!
my husband has recently been made redundant so thrifty meal ideas are essential at the moment – I have my fingers crossed!
Sounds like a great book – my wife would love it!
Count me in please – it’s always a struggle to make ends meet in our household so any tips are welcomed with open arms. Thank you for such a lovely magazine – it’s a pleasure to look though.
Looks a great book. I would love to win a copy!!
Just mucking round with Google and found your website and I LOVE IT!!!
Thanks for such a great, fun, informative site. Looking forward to seeing what else I can discover on your site and looking forward to the newsletters.
Hello!
hi i would love to win this great book
WOW! Just love the magazine. Keep going back to it and finding things I missed the 2nd, 3rd, 4th……….times I look. Thanks.
Just discovered this site – looking fwd 2 learning more